Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches
ThatPainter is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More
Yes, a Gaussian-splat capture can become a physical “3D photograph”—but not by exporting it directly to an STL. Wyatt Roy’s experimental process converts the splat data into thousands of simplified polyhedral forms, then prints them with transparent and opaque resin on a multi-color DLP resin printer. The result is an optical sculpture: part photograph, part volumetric model, and part illuminated artwork.
It is a fascinating bridge between computational photography and additive manufacturing, but it is not a practical replacement for a lithophane. A lithophane remains the better choice for most portraits, gifts, and home-printing projects.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
What makes it different from a lithophane?
A lithophane is usually a thin relief made from a single image. Bright parts of the image are represented by thinner material and dark parts by thicker material. When light passes through it, variations in thickness recreate the picture. It is essentially a physical height map and can be made with an ordinary FDM or resin printer.
A Gaussian-splat print starts with a different kind of information. Instead of compressing a picture into one surface, it attempts to preserve visual information throughout a volume.
#1 Best Overall
- Up to 16 Colors: Bring your designs to life with vibrant multi-color/multi-material printing capabilities, perfect for showcasing your creativity. Note: Connecting Bambu Lab AMS is required.
- 500mm/s and 20000 mm/s² Acceleration True High Speed: Don't wait around for your masterpieces. Lightning-fast printing speed lets you focus on creating, not waiting.
- Enclosed Design: Fully enclosed body improves print performance for advanced filaments. Automatic Bed Leveling: Say hello to high-quality, successful prints. Auto bed leveling makes 3D printing such an easy thing.
- Set Up in 15 Minutes: Spend more time printing and less time setting up. User-friendly design ensures a hassle-free assembly experience for all skill levels.
- Supported Filament: Ideal: PLA, PETG, TPU, PVA, PET ABS, ASA; Capable : PA, PC; Not Recommended: Carbon/Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer.
| Attribute | Lithophane | Gaussian-splat print |
|---|---|---|
| Input | Usually one photograph | Multiple photographs or video frames |
| Representation | Thickness or surface relief | Many colored, semi-transparent 3D primitives |
| Viewing | Usually intended for one direction and backlighting | Attempts to preserve spatial appearance from multiple viewpoints |
| Hardware | Common FDM or resin printer | Specialized multi-material or multi-color resin workflow |
| Best use | Accessible photographic keepsakes | Experimental volumetric art and captured objects |
“Move over” is therefore a deliberately provocative headline. Gaussian-splat printing is an experimental complement to lithophanes, not a universal replacement for them.
Gaussian splatting in plain English
Gaussian splatting is a 3D reconstruction and rendering technique. A phone or camera records a subject from multiple viewpoints. Software then estimates a large collection of small, oriented, semi-transparent 3D distributions—often visualized as ellipsoids.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsEach Gaussian commonly has a position, orientation, scale, opacity, and color information. According to Polycam’s explanation of Gaussian splatting, the primitives are rasterized and blended to recreate the scene from a chosen camera position.
A useful distinction is this: a mesh tries to describe the surfaces of an object; a Gaussian splat tries to describe how a scene looks from many viewpoints.
That makes splats excellent for view synthesis, but poor as direct manufacturing instructions. They are not designed to be watertight solids, mechanically strong parts, collision-ready models, or conventional CAD geometry.
Why a Gaussian splat cannot simply be printed
A renderer can overlap hundreds of translucent primitives and blend their colors in a camera image. A printer cannot reproduce that process merely by receiving the original data.
- The primitives are distributions, not ordinary solid bodies. Their boundaries may be mathematically soft rather than physically defined.
- Color can be view-dependent. A splat may render differently as the camera moves, while a printed location has a fixed material state.
- Transparency and scattering are material problems. A slicer needs to know where material exists and how it should be fabricated; it does not automatically know how overlapping optical fields should behave.
- The data may not form connected geometry. A renderer does not require a watertight shell, but many printing workflows do.
One response to the color problem is to simplify the splat’s appearance before printing. In a later experiment, Dany Bittel described training at spherical-harmonics level 0, reducing view-dependent color so the result was more suitable for physical output. That is an adaptation to the limitation—not evidence that the limitation has disappeared.
Rank #2
- One-Click Automatic Printing: Experience hassle-free 3D printing with the Adventurer 5M Series. Enjoy automatic bed leveling for flawless first layers, ensuring consistent adhesion and saving time with no manual adjustments required.
- 12X Ultra Fast Printing: Featuring a CoreXY structure with 600mm/s travel speed and 20000mm/s² acceleration, the AD5M maximizes efficiency, reduces production cycles, and ensures high precision, making it ideal for rapid prototyping and mass production.
- Smart and Efficient Design: Quick 3-second nozzle changes, a high-flow 32mm³/s nozzle, and fast 35-second warm-up to 200°C deliver stable high-speed printing. Its dual-sided PEI platform and versatile options provide easy removal and adaptability for various creative projects.
- Superior Print Quality & Adaptability: Combines a 280°C direct drive extruder with dual-fan cooling and vibration compensation. Includes a standard 0.4mm nozzle and accepts optional sizes from 0.25mm to 0.8mm to fit various printing needs.
- Real-Time App Monitoring: Monitor print progress, adjust settings, and receive instant status alerts remotely with the Flash Studio. Smart mobile control ensures a seamless, effortless printing experience anytime, anywhere.
Wyatt Roy’s conversion pipeline
The following reconstructs the published workflow. It should be understood as a proof of concept rather than a verified, beginner-friendly tutorial.
phone or camera → Polycam → binary PLY → Python decoding → Rhino/Grasshopper → simplified polyhedra → printable geometry → multi-color DLP resin print → polishing
1. Capture a suitable subject
Roy used Polycam to generate the source Gaussian splat. Other coverage mentions Luma and Scaniverse as alternative capture applications, but they should not be treated as confirmed parts of Roy’s exact workflow.
The subject must remain still while it is recorded. Matte, textured objects and organic subjects are generally better candidates than glass, chrome, mirrors, clear plastic, liquids, or anything that moves. Reflective surfaces change appearance with the camera position and may be reconstructed as incorrect geometry or texture. Poor camera coverage can produce holes, stretched regions, and misplaced splats.
Smooth camera movement, consistent exposure, and plenty of overlap between viewpoints help the reconstruction. Lighting should also be considered carefully: the splat may encode the original lighting, rather than a neutral material appearance. Dany Bittel’s notes on Gaussian-splat capture illustrate why reflective and transparent scenes remain difficult.
2. Export the splat data
The reported workflow exports a binary .ply file from Polycam. Polycam’s current documentation confirms PLY as an available format for Gaussian-splat workflows, although export options and account requirements can change. Check the current Polycam documentation for the present interface and plan limits.
A Gaussian-splat PLY is not necessarily an ordinary point cloud. It can contain position, scale, rotation, opacity, color, and spherical-harmonics fields. Treating it like a generic mesh and converting it to OBJ will usually discard the information that makes it a splat.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Rank #3
- Up to 16 Colors: Bring your designs to life with vibrant multi-color/multi-material printing capabilities, perfect for showcasing your creativity. Note: Connecting Bambu Lab AMS is required.
- 500mm/s and 20000 mm/s² Acceleration True High Speed: Don't wait around for your masterpieces. Lightning-fast printing speed lets you focus on creating, not waiting.
- Enclosed Design: Fully enclosed body improves print performance for advanced filaments. Automatic Bed Leveling: Say hello to high-quality, successful prints. Auto bed leveling makes 3D printing such an easy thing.
- Set Up in 15 Minutes: Spend more time printing and less time setting up. User-friendly design ensures a hassle-free assembly experience for all skill levels.
- Supported Filament: Ideal: PLA, PETG, TPU, PVA, PET ABS, ASA; Capable : PA, PC; Not Recommended: Carbon/Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer.
3. Decode the binary file
Roy wrote a custom Python script to convert or decode the binary data into an ASCII-readable form for the next stage. The available reporting does not specify the script, field layout, parser behavior, or error handling, so those details should not be invented.
The important requirement is preservation. A conversion error involving coordinate systems, scale, rotation, opacity, or color can destroy the spatial appearance before any geometry is generated.
4. Replace each Gaussian with approximate geometry
In Rhino and Grasshopper, Roy represented each Gaussian with a low-face-count polyhedral approximation described in coverage as a 14-face isosphere or icosphere-like form. The wording varies because this is a simplified geometric stand-in, not a literal printable Gaussian.
Each approximation receives the source primitive’s position, dimensions, and rotation. The result is a field of small, faceted “blobs” whose collective arrangement preserves the appearance of the original capture.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →This compromise is essential. An exact representation of every smooth anisotropic Gaussian would be computationally expensive and needlessly detailed. Fewer faces make the scene easier to process and print, although they also produce harsher facets. More faces improve local shape fidelity while increasing geometry, processing time, and the risk of overwhelming the modeling and slicing pipeline.
5. Make the result printable
The generated geometry still needs manufacturing-oriented cleanup. Depending on the intended result, that can include filtering low-value splats, resolving intersections, dealing with disconnected islands, removing unsupported features, thickening fragile elements, and deciding whether the object should be a connected volume or a collection of embedded elements.
This is the stage where a rendering representation becomes a physical design. The goal is no longer mathematical fidelity alone; it is a balance between visual density, optical behavior, structural stability, and printer capability.
Rank #4
- High-Speed Precision: The Bambu Lab P2S 3D printer prints up to 600 mm/s while maintaining exceptional accuracy. With the PMSM Servo Extruder and Active Flowrate Compensation, every layer of your printed object stays sharp and smooth, delivering flawless corners and consistent results.
- Ready to Print in 15 Minutes: Set up your P2S FDM 3D printer and start printing in just 15 minutes. With AI failure detection, quick-swap nozzles, and automatic calibration, this 3D printer makes professional-grade 3D printing effortless, even for beginners.
- Effortless Multi-Color Printing: The AMS 2 Pro enables seamless multi-color/multi-material 3D printing. It features built-in filament drying at up to 65 °C, keeping every spool ready for flawless prints. (Note: The P2S 3D printer does not support multi-color printing; Combo version required.)
- Smart Airflow for Any Filament: The Adaptive Airflow System automatically balances cooling and heat retention—keeping overhangs crisp with cool air, or maintaining a 50 °C chamber for engineering-grade materials. A carbon filter ensures clean, safe air while you print.
- Limitless Creativity, Seamless Workflow: Explore over one million 3D models on MakerWorld and bring them to life with a smooth, unified workflow using Bambu Studio, Bambu Handy, and your FDM 3D printer, from design to finished print.
6. Print transparent and opaque regions
The published example uses a multi-color DLP resin printer, with clear resin forming the transparent volume and black or white resin supplying internal contrast. That is not the same as applying a conventional full-color texture to an STL. The appearance depends on where opaque material sits inside the clear material, how light travels through the object, and how much scattering the finished surface introduces.
The available reporting does not establish the exact printer model, resin brand, layer height, exposure settings, print time, or material cost. A normal monochrome LCD resin printer might produce an experimental clear or opaque approximation, but it would not automatically reproduce the demonstrated multi-color DLP effect.
7. Polish the finished object
Transparent resin is especially unforgiving. Layer lines, scratches, support marks, incomplete curing, and residue scatter light and can turn a translucent object cloudy. Independent coverage reports extensive manual polishing in the project’s finishing process.
After washing and curing according to the resin manufacturer’s instructions, the transparent surfaces need to be refined enough for light to pass through with less haze. The final object should be inspected under different backgrounds and lighting directions. A print that looks convincing backlit may look muddy from the front, and one that resembles the digital splat under one viewpoint may become an abstract crystal from another.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common failure modes
Capture problems
- Reflective, transparent, or glossy subjects produce unstable appearance data.
- Moving subjects and camera shake create ghosting or misplaced primitives.
- Insufficient viewpoint coverage leaves holes and stretched geometry.
- Uneven exposure and baked-in lighting can make the physical result difficult to illuminate naturally.
Conversion problems
- Binary PLY fields are read with the wrong data types or ordering.
- Coordinate-system conventions are confused.
- Scale or rotation is interpreted incorrectly.
- Opacity and color fields are discarded.
- Too many primitives make Rhino, Grasshopper, or the slicer unmanageable.
Printing and optical problems
- Fine splats merge into larger blobs.
- Thin features vanish or fail during post-processing.
- Clear resin becomes cloudy after curing, sanding, or inadequate polishing.
- Opaque regions lack contrast or bleed into neighboring material.
- Support removal damages the surfaces that need to remain transparent.
- The physical object cannot reproduce arbitrary view-dependent radiance.
In his later printed example, Bittel reported artifacts, clumping in fine fur, and challenges involving color and transparency. Those limitations are not incidental: they reveal the gap between a renderer’s flexible optical model and fixed physical materials.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Could voxel printing be a better route?
Turning every Gaussian into a small polyhedron is only one possible translation. Bittel also described voxelizing the splat, assigning color and opacity mixtures to voxels, and printing the volume layer by layer with variable-transparency material mixtures.
A voxel representation may be more natural for a volumetric printer because it describes the object as a grid of material values rather than a forest of intersecting surface-like elements. It also opens the door to material-aware optimization: software could decide how much transparent, white, black, or colored material each voxel requires before printing.
Best Value
- 600mm/s Speed & CoreXY Structure — Powered by an all-metal CoreXY frame and 20,000mm/s² acceleration, Adventurer 5M Pro reaches speeds up to 600mm/s. Integrated vibration compensation algorithms eliminate ghosting and ringing for smooth, high-precision surface finishes.
- 3-Second Quick-Swap Nozzle & Auto Leveling — Features a tool-free, quick-release nozzle mechanism for effortless 3-second replacements across multiple sizes (0.25/0.4/0.6/0.8mm). One-click full auto-leveling ensures precise bed calibration and a perfect first layer every time.
- Dual Filtration System & Quiet Enclosure — Built with an integrated dual filtration system and a fully enclosed chamber to ensure a clean printing environment and thermal stability. Powered by low-noise motion control, it operates quietly under 50dB for seamless home, office, or classroom use.
- 280°C High-Temp Extruder & Broad Material Compatibility — With a 280°C max nozzle temperature and a 110°C heated bed, it reliably prints engineering materials like ABS, ASA, and PETG-CF, as well as standard PLA and PETG.
- Smart Camera & Mobile Control — Features a built-in camera for real-time monitoring and time-lapse video creation. Monitor progress, adjust settings, and receive instant status alerts via Flash Studio. Integrated with filament detection, power loss recovery, and a 4.3-inch touchscreen for effortless operation.
That approach still faces resolution, registration, scattering, curing, and color-matching problems. It is a promising direction, not a solved consumer workflow.
Is this reproducible for an ordinary maker?
Technically, yes—for an advanced maker with comparable tools and willingness to develop the pipeline. It is not beginner-friendly, one-click, or economically sensible for turning a single family photograph into a keepsake.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteThe demonstrated process requires Gaussian-splat capture software, binary data parsing, procedural geometry work in Rhino/Grasshopper or an equivalent system, a suitable multi-material resin-printing process, and substantial finishing. The bottleneck is not simply finding a resin printer; it is controlling transparent and opaque material placement well enough to create a readable optical image.
The idea is most compelling for experimental art, installations, computational-photography research, unusual portraits, captured natural subjects, and makers who value the process as much as the finished object.
Which method should you choose?
- Choose a lithophane for a single portrait or landscape, inexpensive reproduction, ordinary FDM hardware, and an image intended to be viewed mainly from one direction.
- Choose a textured mesh when accurate dimensions, editing, animation, measurement, watertight geometry, or mechanical use matters more than view-synthesis quality.
- Choose a voxel or resin-block approach when the goal is genuinely volumetric color and you have access to a printer or service that supports material mixtures.
- Choose a Gaussian-splat conversion when you want an unusual art object, have advanced procedural-modeling skills, and accept approximation and experimentation.
For readers without the required equipment, a specialist service may be more realistic than purchasing hardware. Crysta AI is an emerging option associated with a later splat-printing experiment, although public pricing and standardized consumer availability were not established in the available reporting.
The larger significance
The important achievement is not that Gaussian splats have replaced lithophanes. It is that a representation designed to fake light, transparency, and depth on a screen can be translated—imperfectly but convincingly—into physical material.
Recommended Free Tools
The digital splat, the polyhedral approximation, and the finished resin object are three different things. Calling the print a “Gaussian splat” is convenient, but technically it is a physical approximation of a Gaussian-splat scene.
Future workflows may train splats for printability from the beginning, convert them directly into material-aware voxels, preview scattering before fabrication, or send them to printers with native volumetric formats. Until then, Roy’s project is best understood as a compelling proof of concept: neural rendering made tangible.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
